NFL Week 14 winners: Backup quarterbacks rule the day; Bills playoff chances get boost

Joe Flacco, QB, Cleveland Browns. A couple of weeks ago Joe Flacco was out of the NFL and waiting for his opportunity. Now he is the starting quarterback for a playoff contender. Flacco helped lead the Browns to a 31-27 win over the Jaguars on Sunday by throwing for 311 yards and three touchdowns. He has been so good that head coach Kevin Stefanski announced after the game that the offense now belongs to him for the remainder of the season. Flacco joined the Browns following Deshaun Watson's season-ending injury and got his first start when Dorian Thompson-Robinson was sidelined with a concussion. 

Chicago Bears. The playoffs are almost certainly out of the question for the Bears at this point, but they are not going away without a fight. They are also getting the best of both worlds right now. With Sunday's win over Detroit they have now won three out of their past four games, are playing competitive football and at the same time still have a huge lead for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

That is because they own the Carolina Panthers' top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft class, and with another loss on Sunday the Panthers are 1-12 and two games behind every other team in the NFL with four games to play. The Bears get to keep winning and are still likely to get the top pick. That is the best of everything. 

Zach Wilson, QB, New York Jets. Wilson has been the focal point of blame for the Jets offense, but if you are going to blame him when he plays poorly you need to give him credit when he plays well. On Sunday, he played well. He got his starting job back and helped lead the Jets to a stunning 30-6 win over the Houston Texans, throwing for 301 yards and two touchdowns in what might have been one of the best games of his career. That performance helped the Jets snap their five-game losing streak. 

Buffalo Bills playoff chances. The Bills are one of the teams in the 7-6 quagmire that is the AFC wild-card race, and their 20-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday was a massive victory for them. Had they lost that game they would have fallen even further down the standings, staring down a game against the dominant Dallas Cowboys next week. Their ability to shut down the Chiefs offense got them a huge win against a top AFC contender and back on track in the playoff hunt. 

Sean Payton, head coach, Denver Broncos. Payton was a punch line early in the season given the Broncos' early struggles, especially after his preseason rant regarding former Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett. Nobody is laughing at him now. The Broncos' 24-7 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday improved them to 7-6 and was another step forward for their playoff push. Payton has helped quarterback Russell Wilson find his form, and the Broncos defense has been playing dominant, turnover-driven football to help them go 6-1 over their past seven games. 

San Francisco 49ers playmakers. Quarterback Brock Purdy is playing some MVP-caliber football for the 49ers, but he is also getting a lot of help from his team's skill position players. They all shined on Sunday in a 28-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 145 yards on only 16 carries, while wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk both topped the 100-yard mark. Tight end George Kittle also had a huge day with 76 yards on only three catches. The 49ers have one of the league's most complete rosters on paper and they showed why on Sunday.